The year
Liyana Abboud turns fourteen her parents decide to move the family across the
ocean from St. Louis to Palestine/Israel, where her Arabic father, Poppy, was
born and raised. Liyana’s brother, Rafik is excited, but Liyana’s not so sure.
She’ll be leaving the only place she’s ever lived in, all of her friends, and
the first boy to kiss her. Poppy transfers to a hospital in Jerusalem and the
family rents a house between the ancient city and the town of Ramallah where
Liyana’s grandmother, Sitti, and countless uncles, aunts, and cousins live. Although
there are many things Liyana likes in her new country—the interesting people
she meets, the grey Arabic notebooks just right for sticking in your pocket,
delicious foods like katayef—she struggles to learn Arabic and to
understand the cultural expectations set by society for teenage girls.Then she meets charismatic and intelligent
Omer and all of her doubts about her new country fade. But Omer is Jewish and
the two find their friendship forbidden by years of animosity and hate between
the Arabs and the Jews. Will Liyana’s family ever accept her budding romance
with Omer? Will this new country ever feel like home?

3.CRITICAL
ANALYSIS

The book
begins with portions of two poems and a quotation from Anndee Hochman that
address the passage of time, the meaning of home, and the intertwined nature of
Israel and Palestine. These poems not only prepare the reader for the themes of
the story, but also echo Nye’s unique, poetic style of writing.

The book
reads like a series of chronological essays with each one contributing to
Liyana’s growing understanding of her family, her identity, her hopes, and her
culture. This is illustrated by the subtitle of the last chapter, “Doors: There
was a door in the heart / that had no lock on it” (p. 268).

Liyana
is a budding writer and spends most of her free time observing and writing. For
example, she keeps a running list of first lines for stories or poems or movies.
This interest allows Nye to explore words and their meanings to their fullest
extent. Liyana is not content with the surface meaning of a word, a phrase, or
a person. She stubbornly delves deeper, which leads her to more questions and
curiosities. Through Liyana’s eyes Nye is able to include many cultural markers
including the preparation and eating of food, bustling market places, school
life, and several major landmarks, such as the Dead Sea.

Liyana
is becoming a woman and is confronted with cultural markers in the differences
in gender roles, clothing, and behaviors between her male and female relatives.
Liyana struggles to accept societal and cultural norms in her new country,
especially those that restrict her from doing things she could do in St. Louis
because she is female. Liyana had her first kiss before leaving America, so she
can’t understand why boys and girls in Jerusalem aren’t allowed to kiss when
family and friends kissed each other constantly on the cheeks. Poppy replies
that public kissing “is not okay here. It is simply not done. Anyway, it
is not supposed to be done.” Liyana fires back, “Not by anyone?...Not by
Greeks or Jews or Armenians, or only not by Arabs?” (p. 61).

Nye
examines the fragile relationship between Arabs and Jews from an outsider’s
point of view. Although her father is Arabic, Liyana thinks of herself as “the
half-American with the Arab eyes in the navy blue Armenian school uniform” (p.
84). Although a mostly Arabic perspective is presented, Nye uses Omer to bring
a Jewish point of view into the story. Through Liyana’s story Nye advocates for
peace, but she does not paint a rosy picture of the current relationship
between the two peoples. She acknowledges that there is pain and resentment of
many years on both sides. For instance, Susan, Liyana’s mother, urges her
children to think of families fighting at dinner tables. Family members fight
because they care, “with strangers you don’t care so much.” Rafik agrees, “if
you didn’t love someone why would you even bother to fight with him?”
And so Liyana wonders, “Do you think the Arabs and Jews secretly love one
another?” and Poppy replies, “I think…they are bonded for life. Whether they
like it or not” (p. 73). However, although Nye wishes for a more peaceful
future, violence and hate are a part of this story, such as the ransacking of
Sitti’s house and the short, but terrifying imprisonment of Liyana’s father.

Even
though Nye tackles big issues, including hate, faith, and peace, Liyana’s voice
remains hopeful. The Abboud’s are a humorous family and they often choose to
see the amusing side of a situation. For instance, the headmaster at Liyana’s
new school, a priest wearing a burgundy robes and a giant pointed hat, informs
her that she cannot wear her ring because it is considered a distraction. Later,
Liyana comments to Poppy, “Distraction? If I were wearing a giant cosmic cone
on my head, would I have room to talk?” (p. 78).

Nye
deftly navigates the multilingual aspects of living in Israel. The story is
written from Liyana’s perspective, who struggles to learn Arabic and has very
little knowledge of Hebrew, however, all non-English words are printed in
italics and explained within the text. The most notable term is the title,
which Liyana explores and defines in a chapter subtitled, “Darling: a dearly
loved person, / a favorite, a charmer” (p. 213). The number of languages spoken
in the city is used to emphasize the unwillingness of Arabs and Jews to communicate,
no matter how many languages they speak.

Liyana
struggles to accept her new home because she loved her old home so much, but
gradually she comes to understand that “every day is a new map. But it’s just a
scrap of it, an inch” (p. 266). She realizes that moving to Jerusalem is not
the beginning or end of her story, but the middle. The conclusion of Nye’s book
is open-ended, yet satisfying. Liyana accepts her new home into her heart, the
good and the bad, and although she knows that peace between the Arabs and Jews
will not come easily, it is not impossible. And so the book ends on a hopeful
note.

Review
in PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Nye's climactic ending will leave readers
pondering, long after the last page is turned, why Arabs, Jews, Greeks and
Armenians can no longer live in harmony the way they once did.”

Review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Though the story begins
at a leisurely pace, readers will be engaged by the characters, the romance,
and the foreshadowed danger. Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the
story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and
incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal
and concrete...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti
can say, ‘I never lost my peace inside.’”

Review
in BOOKLIST: “The story is steeped in detail about the place and
cultures: food, geography, history, shopping, schools, languages, religions,
etc. Just when you think it is obtrusive to have essays and journal entries
thrust into the story, you get caught up in the ideas and the direct simplicity
with which Nye speaks. She does try to cover too much--no book can tell the
whole story of the Middle East--but this is a story that makes us ‘look both ways.’”

5.CONNECTIONS

*The chapters have poetic subheadings. Have each teen pick
one and write about why they chose it, how it related to the content of the
chapter, and if it relates to their own life.

*Other books that address the relationship between Arabs and
Jews in Israel:

Narrated
by their oldest child, a lanky African-American girl with springy black curls,
this book celebrates the joy and love of a family composed of two mothers and
three adopted children. Short and stout, Meema was a pediatrician and tall and
thin Marmee, who could organize and fix anything, was a paramedic. The
narrator’s younger Asian-American brother, Will, and artistic red-haired, bespectacled
Millie completed the family. The children grow up in a beautiful old house in
Berkeley, California and the narrator lovingly describes her memories of
cooking in the kitchen, dressing up for Halloween, making dresses for the
mother-daughter tea, and the annual neighborhood block party. Although the
family was attacked for their lifestyle by their neighbor Mrs. Lockner, the
children were always comforted by the love of their mothers. Eventually the
children grow up, get married, and have children of their own. Although Marmee
and Meema have passed away, the narrator is reassured because “all of our
hearts find peace whenever we are there…not only remembering them, but being
there, together, in our mothers’ house.”

3.CRITICAL
ANALYSIS

The
positive aspects of being part of a family with two mothers are emphasized in
this story. Sometimes it seems too good to be true. The story is a nostalgic
look at the narrator’s childhood and family, so it is somewhat understandable
that Polacco chooses to highlight positive, rather than negative, memories.
Although the story is elevated by characters that are not stereotypical or one
dimensional, at times the realism of the book suffers under the pressure of
representing an idealized family.

The
story, a tribute to two loving parents who just happen to be lesbians, is
written almost entirely in first person past tense, which makes the reader feel
like one of the family. The pen and marker illustrations are bright and lively.
The people and settings are realistic and detailed, yet Polacco’s lines are
loose and sketchy. Each two page spread describes a memory of something that
happened in or around the house. Together these episodes create a tapestry that
illustrates the Marmee and Meema’s love of their children and their community.

Although
Mrs. Lockner’s attack on the family provides a small conflict the book is
character and place, rather than plot driven. Polacco mentions that the house
is located in Berkeley, California, however the city is not as important as the
house itself. This universal story of love and family could easily take place
in any city. There is a contemporary timelessness to the illustrations; the
story could be set in the 1970’s or the 2000’s. The neighborhood is very
diverse with people of many cultural backgrounds. This is most noticeable in
the illustration of the block party food court which features people of all
ages, hair and skin colors. Meema says, “Aren’t we all something?” when she
sees the stuffed grape leaves brought by the Maricians, the Polos’ spanakopita,
and the hummus and tabouli brought by the Abdullas.

The
communal sharing of food is a recurring element in the narrator’s memories. The
children not only cook and eat food with their mothers, but also with their
grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and neighbors. The narrator
remembers, “At our table we didn’t only eat, thought. Marmee and Meema made
sure of that. Everyone talked about everything…What I loved most about our
family was that we could all speak our hearts. We never measured words”

Polacco
has developed distinct, complimentary personalities for Marmee and Meema. The
narrator describes them as “so different from each other that all of us often
wondered how they found each other at all.” The narrator lovingly describes the
careers and passions of each woman. Their sexual orientation is never addressed
directly, although it is clear the two women are in a relationship. Although
some readers may wish for a more direct approach, the benefit of Polacco’s
approach is that each adult can discuss the topic in the way they are most
comfortable.

Both
mothers are open about their relationship to their children, parents, and the
community. They take pride in the accomplishments of their children and are
willing to step outside of their personal comfort zones to support their
children. For instance, both daughters are ecstatic when they are picked to
host the mother-daughter tea. Although Meema and Marmee never wear dresses,
they enthusiastically sew long pastel dresses to wear to the event. In
retrospect the narrator acknowledges how uncomfortable her mothers were and how
much it meant to her and her sister, “My heart still skips a beat when I think
of the two of them trying so hard to please us in those awkward, sweeping,
ridiculous dresses.”

Unfortunately,
prejudice is embodied by a single character, Mrs. Lockner, which does not
present a realistic depiction of the barriers same-sex couples face. This also
seems like a wasted opportunity for Polacco to address other forms of hate that
children with same-sex parents often encounter, such as bullying by their
peers. However, adopted children and/or children with same-sex parents will see
themselves positively reflected in this book.

4.REVIEW
EXCERPTS

Best Books for Children: Preschool-Grade
6 – 9th Edition

Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Is this an idealized vision of a how a
gay couple can be accepted by their family and community? Absolutely. But the
story serves as a model of inclusiveness for children who have same-sex
parents, as well as for children who may have questions about a
"different" family in their neighborhood. A lovely book that can help
youngsters better understand their world."

Starred review in BOOKLIST: "The energetic illustrations in pencil and
marker, though perhaps not as well-rendered as in some previous works, teem
with family activities and neighborhood festivity. Quieter moments radiate the
love the mothers feel for their children and for each other.”

Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "The distillation of hate into a single
character undermines the reality of systematic oppression faced by same-sex
couples; furthermore, the flash-forward narration depicting each child grown
and married into heterosexual, monoracial unions ironically presents this
family as an anomaly. There is a desperate need for books that present queer
families as just another part of the American quilt, but this title, despite
its obvious good intentions, doesn’t do it."

5.CONNECTIONS

*What would your house say, “If walls could talk”? Encourage
kids to write about an unforgettable experience that happened in the house they
live in now or in the house they loved the most.

Shy and
quiet Naomi Soledad León Outlaw is contented with her life. She lives with
her great-grandmother and her younger brother, Owen, in the Avocado Acres
Trailer Rancho in Lemon Tree, Oklahoma. She doesn’t think much about the father
she doesn’t remember and the mother who abandoned her until one evening when her
mother, who now calls herself Skyla, arrives at the door. Although the siblings
are initially excited about meeting their mother, it soon becomes clear that
Skyla has plans to separate her children. She lavishes gifts on Naomi, but
blatantly ignores Owen, who was born with his head tilted to one side and one
leg shorter than the other. When Skyla and her new boyfriend threaten Naomi,
Gram and her neighbors Fabiola and Bernardo pack up the trailer and head to
Oaxaca, Mexico to find Naomi’s father. In Mexico Naomi not only discovers her
family, but also finds her voice and becomes Naomi León, Naomi the Lion.

3.CRITICAL
ANALYSIS

Muñoz has created a believable
juvenile character and the text is written in first person past tense from
Naomi’s point of view. Naomi is very artistic and observant. She is also aware
of the emotions of those around her. Although it is clear that Muñoz knows the back story of each
of her characters, the story is told from Naomi’s perspective. There are times
when Naomi is able to tell something is wrong and she can describe her
feelings, but is not able to put a label on it. The most notable instance is
the way in which Muñoz candidly relates the issues of Skyla’s
alcoholism, anger, depression, and the abandonment of her children.

There is
a strong relationship between the siblings and although Naomi is often annoyed
by her little brother it is clear she loves him. Naomi and Owen share a common
hope of being wanted and loved by their family. This theme is underscored by
the titles of the chapters, which are names for collective groupings of
animals, such as “a shiver of sharks” and “a piteousness of doves.” The
twenty-one chapters are divided into three sections. The first section, “A
Rabble of Yesterdays,” takes place in Oklahoma. “A Passel of Todays” covers
Naomi’s visit to Mexico and the outcome of the custody hearing. The final
section is a three page epilogue, “A Murmuration of Tomorrows,” that ties up
all the loose ends of the story and provides a platform for Naomi to reflect on
how the events of the book shaped her, “I hoped by father was right, that like
the figures we carved from wood and soap, I was becoming who I was meant to be,
the Naomi Soledad León Outlaw of my wildest dreams” (p. 246).

Owen,
born with deformities, perhaps caused by Skyla’s alcohol or drug abuse, has
developed ways to cope with the taunts of the other school kids. Owen wears a
strip of transparent tape on the front of this shirt. Naomi cannot explain it,
but she knows it makes Owen feel safe. Even though he has had more than his
share of hardships, Owen is an optimistic boy. He is clearly hurt when his
mother ignores him, but he chooses to think positive. For instance, when Naomi
harshly tells Owen that “Skyla would probably like you better, too, if you
tried to please her,” she immediately wants to take back her words, but Owen
decides to see the bright side of the situation. He finds a penny on the
ground, “Hey Naomi. ‘Find a penny pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good
luck’!...I found a penny and our mother came back and she’s coming to our
conference today…I think that’s very lucky” (p. 69). Owen maybe optimistic, but
his character is not a stereotype of the happy-go-lucky disabled person. Muñoz’s characters are three
dimensional and although Owen tends to be positive, Naomi is close enough to
her brother to see the pain beneath the happy surface.

Finding
your voice is a major theme in the book. Although Naomi was not born with
physical deformities, she continues to be deeply traumatized by her mother’s
actions. When she was first left at Gram’s she did not speak and during the
majority of the book she is quiet and shy. She knows what she wants to say, but
cannot seem to make it come out of her mouth. When Owen is teased at school
Naomi notes, “I wanted to tell him to leave us alone, but as much as I tried I
couldn’t say a word” (p. 67). Naomi’s voice strengthens as the story progresses
so that when she is asked to speak up at the hearing she is able to confidently
tell the judge her opinion. She remembers, “It was as if the stampede crashed
through the wall in front of me” (p. 236).

There
are cultural markers from three distinct cultures in this book—Oklahoman,
Mexican (specifically from the Oaxaca region), and Aztec. These markers are put
into relief by the contrast between Lemon Tree, Oklahoma and Jalatlaco, Mexico.
We see Mexico for the first time through Naomi’s observant and hopeful eyes and
this allows Muñoz to describe Jalatlaco vividly.

Muñoz denotes Aztec and Spanish
words in italics. She also takes care to mention words that are Aztec, rather
than Spanish. Words and definitions are well integrated into the dialogue and
narrative of the text. Muñoz does not coddle the reader; she may use a word
many times in the text, but she only defines it once. Pronunciation is cleverly
incorporated into the text. For instance, when Naomi sees a sign for Quesillo
in the market she sounds out the word, “Keh-sill-owe,” to which Fabiola nods
approvingly and says, “It’s pronounced keh-see­-owe…but you are learning
very fast, Naomi” (p. 156). As the story progresses and Naomi learns more about
her Mexican heritage the number of Spanish words in her narrative increases.

Food is
a major cultural marker throughout the story. In Oklahoma Gram cooks a
particular food for each day of the week, “Wednesday chicken bake,” (p. 4),
“Thursday pork chops” (p. 45), but in Jalatlaco Naomi discovers many new
flavors. She eats buñuelos, fried tortillas with a syrupy glaze sold by street vendors and crusty pan
dulce, sweet breakfast bread.

Two
holidays are celebrated during Naomi’s visit to Oaxaca, Las Posadas and La
Noche de la Rábanos, and both are integral to the plot. Muñoz uses these festivals to not
only showcase the culture of Oaxaca, but to illustrate the sense of community
and family Naomi experiences during her visit. La Noche de la Rábanos is only celebrated in the central
plaza of Oaxaca and this grounds the story in a very specific setting. The
traditional customs of Las Posadas are described in vivid detail and Muñoz provides explanation without
becoming didactic or taking the reader out of the story.

4.AWARDS/REVIEW
EXCERPTS

ALA
Notable Books for Children

Americas
Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature nominee

Book
Sense Book of the Year nominee

Children's Catalog 19th Edition

Pura Belpré
Honor Book

Starred review from KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Naomi's matter-of-fact
narrative is suffused with her worries and hopes, along with her protective
love for her brother and great-grandmother. Ryan's sure-handed storytelling and
affection for her characters convey a clear sense of Naomi's triumph, as she becomes ‘who I was meant to
be.’”

Starred review from PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Sharing her
protagonist's love of language, artistic sensibility and keen sensitivity, Ryan
creates a tender tale about family love and loyalty.”

Review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Ryan has written a
moving book about family dynamics. While she explores the youngsters' Mexican
heritage and gives a vivid picture of life in and the art of Oaxaca, her story
is universal, showing the strong bonds and love that make up an extended
family. All of the characters are well drawn, and readers will share Naomi's
fear until the judge makes the final decision about her future.”

Review from THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS:
“Realistic danger from the monstrous Skyla, quick strategizing by Naomi and
Gram, and the incomparable thrill of international travel on the lam provide a
peppery vitality to this carefully crafted story, in which Naomi's expedition
to find her father gives her a chance to grow into her name of Naomi the Lion.”

5.CONNECTIONS

*Have
kids look carefully at the names of the chapters. Why do you think Muñoz choose to name each chapter
after a different grouping of animals? What does the title provide insight into
the contents of the chapter? Why do you think Naomi finds collective animal
groupings so interesting?

* Muñoz provides a reader’s theater
script that covers the events of the first few chapters. After kids perform the
script, encourage them to adapt another section of the book into a reader’s
theater script.

Not so
long ago in Japan an old man and his wife, Jiichan (Grandpa) and Baachan
(Grandma), lived a quiet life in the countryside. But one day Jiichan decides
to take his bicycle into the city like he once did many years ago. He can’t
believe how much the city has changed and the noise that permeates the once
quiet streets. He pulls into a vacant lot and sets up the Kamishibai box. Clack,
clack! He hits together the wooden blocks and begins to tell the story of
what it was like to be the beloved neighborhood kamishibai man. He remembers
the children that flocked to him, buying sweets and listening to him tell
Japanese folktales. But then TV came on the scene and the children were too
busy to be interrupted by the kamishibai man. Soon after he stopped going on
his rounds. But as Jiichan opens his eyes he realizes that the children who
once listened to his stories have returned as grown ups! That night Jiichan
asks his wife to make twice as many candies for tomorrow.

3.CRITICAL
ANALYSIS

This is
a bittersweet, nostalgic story that is related in an unhurried manner. The
beginning of the book is slower, but the story picks up speed when Jiichan
recalls the heydays of kamishibai. The book begins with descriptive narrative
text written in third person past tense; however this changes when Jiichan
tells the story of his past. Then the text is all dialogue spoken by the old
man. The narrative resumes when Jiichan realizes he has had an audience for his
story. The realistic illustrations match the tone of the story by becoming
livelier and more stylized in the flashback scenes.

The book
contrasts the tranquil rural landscape with the bustling city. These opposite
settings emphasis the theme of old versus new, then versus now. Other themes in
the book look at aging, progress, change, and the increased pace of life in
modern day Japan as compared with slower bygone days.

Although
there are children in the story, the old man’s search for his purpose is the
focal point. Jiichan and Baachan are quiet and introspective characters and Say
draws parallels to the childless old couple in the Japanese folktale, “The
Peach Boy.” Compare the opening sentences of the book, “Not so long ago in
Japan, in a small house on a hillside, there lived an old man and his wife.
Even though they never had children of their own…” to the beginning of the
folktale Jiichan tells the children, “Long, long ago, there once lived an old
man and his wife who had no children…”

Sounds
are often mentioned in the text. For example when Jiichan is happy he hums a
tune his mother used to sing to him and he begins his kamishibai story with the
“sharp, loud” sound of the wooden blocks (“hyoushigi”
in Japanese), “Clack,
clack!”

The watercolor
illustrations are full of vivid details that bring Japanese culture to life.
Say presents both traditional as well as more contemporary images of Japan. For
instance, the couple lives in a traditional Japanese house in the country. They
wear traditional clothing in their house with the sliding wooden doors, but
Jiichan wears contemporary clothes when he travels to the city. Jiichan’s grown
up audience wears a variety of clothing, from casual to formal, which
highlights the wide range of personalities within the community. Say’s
illustrations feature children of all shapes and sizes with an assortment of
hairstyles and personalities. In addition, Four Japanese folktales are
mentioned in the text and scenes from those stories can be seen on the story
cards in the illustrations.

Kamishibai
means “paper theatre” or “paper play” in Japanese and this book is clearly
Say’s homage to the art form. Not only does the story tell the history of
kamishibai, but the rectangular illustrations that accompany Jiichan’s
flashback are formatted much like kamishibai story cards. In the forward the
author briefly outlines his childhood memories of kamishibai and his goal to be
“your ‘paper theater man’ for a day.” An afterward by Japanese folklore
scholar, Tara McGowan, concludes the book. The afterward provides information
on the creation and development of kamishibai over the years.

Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "Say effectively incorporates two illustration
styles here—lovely soft watercolors and a more cartoonish style for flashbacks
to the heyday of kamishibai. A fascinating window on a bygone art form."

Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Say's distinctive style and facial
expressions are especially touching...The power of the story and the importance
of the storyteller are felt in this nostalgic piece that makes readers think
about “progress.” Those interested in storytelling and theater will be
especially impressed with this offering, but it will have broad appeal."

Review in BOOKLIST: "The story-within-a-story that emerges reveals why
this unique type of performance art has all but disappeared. The quietly
dramatic, beautifully evocative tale contains a cliffhanger of its own, and its
exquisite art, in the style of Kamishibai picture cards, will attract even the
most jaded kid away from the TV to enjoy a good, good book."

Starred review in PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "Say's gift is to multiply themes
without struggling under their weight. Aging, cultural change, the way humans
seem to lose warmth with technological advances—he gestures toward all of these
while keeping the lens tightly focused on the kamishibai man."

Review in BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS: "The watercolors
shift from their usual rich realism to a more stylized approach, seemingly
echoing the pictures traditionally displayed for kamishibai, when slipping into
flashback, which cleverly gives a greater taste of the tradition while indicating
the time difference."

*Use the following discussion questions after reading a
version of THE LITTLE INCH BOY and THE PEACH BOY.

-How is the boy who cannot afford
to buy candy like the little inch boy?

-THE KAMISHIBAI MAN begins very
much like the folktale, “The Peach Boy.” How are Jiichan and Baachan like the
couple in the folktale?

*Have kids create their own kamishibai stories, which can be
as short as three cards or as long as sixteen cards. This can be done alone or
in groups of two or three. Choose to make cards for a Japanese folktale, a
familiar folktale, or on a subject the group has been studying recently. Have
kids write the text of their story of the back of the cards. Encourage kids to
perform their stories for their peers. This promotes oral fluency. Teacher and
librarian Julie Rosenoff provides an example of an assignment sheet, as well as
helpful tips on planning and creating your kamishibai cards: http://www.cvsd.org/progress/documents/PDF_files/kamishibai.pdf

Lin, Grace. 2006. The Year of the Dog Book Cover. Book cover designed by Sano Fujii.
From http://openlibrary.org/works/OL1913874W/The_year_of_the_dog

1.BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lin,
Grace. 2006. THE YEAR OF THE DOG. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN
978-0316060004

2.PLOT
SUMMARY

Young
Chinese/Taiwanese-American, Pacy is excited to usher in a new year on Chinese
New Year: The Year of the Dog. Her family tells her it’s a good year to “find
yourself,” but Pacy is nervous; what if she can’t find herself in time? Luckily
for Pacy, a lot can happen in just one year. She makes a new best friend,
learns more about Chinese/Taiwanese-American culture, makes her stage debut in
the school play, enters the science fair, and writes and illustrates her first
book. When Chinese New Year arrives Pacy decides that the Year of the Dog had
been a great year.

3.CRITICAL
ANALYSIS

This
semi-autobiographical book covers one year in Pacy’s life and is divided into
twenty-nine very short chapters. Many of the chapters contain stories about
Pacy’s relatives told by Pacy’s mother. These stories are also short and are
printed in italtics. Lin’s simple and cheerful black and white illustrations
are used as chapter headings and also incorporated into the text. The
illustrations are presented as though Pacy has drawn them and they depict
important people and things in her life, from the electric rice cooker to
pictures of her friends. Illustrations and text have a humorous undertone that
keeps even serious subjects from slowing the momentum of the story.

Through
the episodic chapters Pacy not only discovers her talent, writing and
illustrating books, but she also discovers her wonderful, if contradictory,
Chinese/Taiwanese-American culture. Lin addresses Pacy’s dual cultures in a way
that insider children will identify with and outsider children will understand.
For instance, after being teased for being a “Twinkie” Pacy complains to her
mother, “It’s not fair. To Americans, I’m too Chinese, and to Chinese people,
I’m too American. So which one am I supposed to be?” (p. 105).

Pacy’s
struggle to understand her culture is emphasized by the lack of other
Asian-Americans in the all-White upstate New York community. Pacy, known as
Grace at school, is the only Asian-American in her class until Melody Ling, who
is also Chinese-American arrives and the two quickly become best friends. This
is illustrated when Pacy’s good friend Becky tells her matter-of-factly that
she cannot play Dorothy in the school play of The Wizard of Oz because
Dorothy is not Chinese. Pacy is shocked, “Suddenly, the world went silent. Like
a melting icicle, my dream of being Dorothy fell and shattered on the ground. I
felt like a dirty puddle after the rain…Becky was right. Dorothy wasn’t
Chinese. I was SO dumb” (p. 70).

Chinese-American
holidays and traditions, as well as the foods eaten at these times, are the
most prevalent cultural markers. The importance of food in Chinese/Taiwanese-American
culture is emphasized. For instance, when Pacy visits her family for her cousin
Albert’s Red Egg Party she is confused because people keep asking her, “Ja-ba,
bei?” Pacy knows this means “Have you eaten yet?” in Taiwanese, but she can’t understand
why they ask her this while she’s eating. Finally, her mother explains that
it’s also a saying that means, “How are you doing?” and Uncle Leo says, “It’s
because food is so important to us…Everything is about food” (p. 40-42).

Lin
confronts Chinese-American stereotypes throughout the story. For instance, when
Pacy is trying to decide on a topic for her book she visits the library to see
if there are any Chinese people in the books. The only book she finds is The
Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Hutchet Bishop. She looks at the pictures
and says to Melody, “Those aren’t real Chinese people, though…Your brother
doesn’t have a ponytail” (p. 71).

Although
the story focuses on an Asian-American family Pacy’s worries are universal and
include being different from her classmates, whether a boy likes her or not,
and stage fright. Other themes in this book include friendship, family, and
taking pride in your cultural heritage. These topics are handled in a realistic
manner with lots of humor and love.

The book
concludes with an author’s note that includes information on the
autobiographical aspects of the story. Lin notes that her favorite books
growing up were about “normal families without unicorns or fairy princesses.”
She saw her life friends and neighborhood reflected in those books, but no
Chinese-Americans, so she wrote this book to fill that gap.

Review in PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "Lin creates an endearing protagonist,
realistically dealing with universal emotions and situations…The book's
inviting design suggests a journal, and features childlike spot illustrations
and a typeface with a hand-lettered quality. Girls everywhere, but especially
those in the Asian-American community, will find much to embrace here."

Review in BOOKLIST: "Most of the chapters are bolstered by anecdotes from
Grace's parents, which connect Grace (and the reader) to her Taiwanese
heritage. Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and the spirit of books
like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimagining them through the lens
of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for
today's young readers."

Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: "Elementary school readers will enjoy the
familiar details of school life and the less familiar but deliciously described
Chinese holiday meals…This comfortable first-person story will be a treat for Asian-American
girls looking to see themselves in their reading, but also for any reader who
enjoys stories of friendship and family life."

Review in HORN BOOK: "With a light touch, Lin offers both authentic
Taiwanese-American and universal childhood experiences, told from a genuine
child perspective. The story, interwoven with several family anecdotes, is
entertaining and often illuminating. Appealing, childlike decorative line
drawings add a delightful flavor to a gentle tale full of humor."

5.CONNECTIONS

*Readers may notice that the book Pacy writes in THE YEAR OF
THE DOG is based on a picture book by Lin. Read the picture book and discuss
different types of vegetables eaten in different countries. Bring in
photographs of these vegetables or if possible bring in the real foods for the
kids to taste.

Eleven-year-old
Millicent Min takes pride in being a genius, even if other people call her an
overachiever and a compulsive perfectionist. Unfortunately, Millie’s genius
doesn’t extend to social skills, which is why she does everything she can to
hold on to her first ever best friend, Emily Ebers, even if that means keeping
her genius status a secret. Millie struggles to balance taking her first
community college class, tutoring “Stupid Stanford Wong” through his summer
school remedial English course, and the mysterious illness her mother has
suddenly developed. What happens when Emily discovers Millie’s secret? Should
Millie listen to her beloved grandmother, Maddie? Is it sometimes better to be
liked than it is to be right?

3.CRITICAL
ANALYSIS

The book
focuses on the theme of friendship. Millie may be an intellectual genius, but
she lacks social skills and struggles to interact with her peers, as well as
adults. For instance, Millie truly believes that Debbie, a community college
student, who is using Millie to do her homework, is her friend. Millie is
stunned when Debbie tells her, “Listen, I’m very fond of you, but you’re just a
child. You can’t really expect us to be in the same social circle, can you?”
(p. 36). Other themes in the book include the value of honesty and wanting to
belong.

The Min
family is Chinese-American, with an emphasis on American. The family eats
American food, does not celebrate Chinese holidays (at least during the course
of the summer), and no one in the family, not even Maddie, Millie’s
grandmother, speaks Chinese. Maddie reads tea leaves and wants to practice feng
shui, however, it seems like she is removed from her Chinese heritage. For
instance, Millie calls Maddie by her first name instead of the more respectful
and traditional American “Grandma” or the Chinese equivalent, “Ma Ma”
(Cantonese) or “Nai Nai” (Mandarin).

Millie
stands out, not because of her cultural heritage, but because of her intellect.
Although Millie thinks she is extremely mature and cannot wait to grow up, she
worries about the things most eleven-year-olds do, her friends and family. Cultural
markers are infrequent and vague. The biggest clue to Millie’s Chinese-American
culture is in her last name, not in the way she views or interacts with the
world.

The book
is set in the suburbs of southern California. The geographic culture of
volleyball practice, hanging out at the mall food court, and studying at the
library is more integral to the story than Millie’s Asian-American heritage.
There are numerous pop culture references, which gives the book a contemporary
feel.

The text
is written from Millie’s perspective and as the story progresses her voice can
be grating at times. Millie’s a know-it-all and it is difficult at times to
connect with her overly logical, holier-than-thou attitude. For instance,
Millie likes the smell of the linens at Emily’s house and she makes a note to
ask Emily’s mom what kind of detergent she uses so that Millie can suggest it
to her mom. Millie extols her own virtues saying to herself, “I’m always giving
people suggestions on how to improve things. I like to be helpful” (p. 76). Her
friends, Emily and Stanford, are much more likable and it is their presence
that keeps the book lively and entertaining.

Unfortunately,
the conclusion of the book is unsurprising. Even young readers will easily predict
that keeping a secret from her best friend will get Millie into trouble, but
that some soul-searching and heart-felt apologies will get the friendship back
on track.

4.REVIEW
EXCERPTS

Best Books For Children:
Preschool-Grade 6 – 8th & 9th Editions

Review in BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS: "The depictions of
Millicent's affectionate parents and her loving and eccentric grandmother
refreshingly reject stereotypes of both Asian-American families and showboating
relatives of gifted children. The "genius" notion may hook readers,
but it's the sympathetic depiction of universal trials that will keep them
reading."

Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "While some readers
will have trouble identifying with Millie, her trials and tribulations result
in a story that is both funny and heartwarming. A universal truth conveyed is
that honesty and acceptance of oneself and of others requires a maturity
measured not by IQ but by generosity of spirit."

Review in PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY:
"Millicent's unique personality—a blend of rationality and naïveté—makes
for some hilarious moments as the young protagonist interacts with a cast of
colorful characters including her athletic, down-to-earth mother, her laid-back
father, and her beloved grandmother, who borrows sage advice from the
television show, Kung Fu. Yee re-examines the terms "smart" and
"dumb," while offering a heartfelt story full of wit."

Review in BOOKLIST: "Millie's pretentious voice grows tiresome after a
while, but Yee does an excellent job of showing both Millie's grown-up brain and
her decidedly middle-school problems. Even if they can't relate to her mastery
of Latin, most kids will readily follow as Millie struggles through a world
where she's smarter than everyone but still sometimes clueless."

5.CONNECTIONS

*After reading the book ask kids
what they thought Millie learned over the summer. Did she learn more from books
or from people? Invite kids to write about an experience where they learned
something from a friend.

*Other middle grade novels about
girls who take pride in their intellect:

More Blogs by Amy Seto Musser

About Me

I am a children's librarian at the Denver Public Library. I graduated with a Masters of Library Science from Texas Woman's University. I feel lucky to have a career that allows me to combine my theatre experience and my love for children’s lit and programming. I'm always on the look out for creative ways to incorporate the arts (music, drama, dance, visual arts) to extend books beyond the page.